Blogs I like to read that have nothing to do with hockey

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Mike Keenan has been hired as the head coach of the Flames. I didnt follow the Flames enough during the regular season to comment about Jim Playfair's coaching, but they completely fizzled in the playoffs. While some of that was the players fault, Playfair was part of it as well. Despite that, I dont know if Mike "Control Freak" Keenan is the best choice. In fact, I think Pearl might just be a better choice.

The Calgary Flames have hired Mike Keenan as their new head coach, sources confirmed to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. An official announcement on the hiring is expected Thursday or Friday. Current Flames coach Jim Playfair will remain as part of the Flames organization.[....]

Despite his success, Keenan has had a mostly tumultuous career as a coach or general manager with the Flyers, the Blackhawks, the Rangers, the St. Louis Blues, the Vancouver Canucks, the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers.

He parted company with the Flyers in 1988 after four years as head coach despite twice guiding them to conference titles.

After coaching the Blackhawks to the Cup final, he resigned in the spring of 1992 after four years coaching and managing because the total control he craved wasn't forthcoming.

He won a title with the Rangers, but couldn't get along with GM Neil Smith well enough to stay for a second season.

One of the quirkier trivia tidbits from his nearly three years in St. Louis before he was fired was his refusal to allow the players to don newly designed alternate sweaters because he didn't like the way they looked.

He didn't mesh with GM Brian Burke in Vancouver and was fired, and there was a quick exit from Boston, too.

In his early days with the Panthers, he and then-GM Rick Dudley engaged in power struggles. Then he abruptly left the team just before the 2006-07 season got underway. Keenan never publicly addressed for his departure.